Phantom of the Opera
by Nightmare the Dragon
Summary: A vengeful phantom haunts the opera house, and wants the girl she has his eyes on. But will she discover who he really is? An Angel of Music? Or a Phantom of the Opera? Rated T for light alcohol references, brief violence and some death.


**Phantom of the Opera**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story.**

Quite some time had passed since the theatre was shut down. Nearly fifty years exactly. After what happened, nobody dared to set foot, fearing that the Phantom still roams the building. Until now.

An auction was taking place in the theatre now. A carriage strode out and stopped in front of it. Out came an elderly hedgehog with white quills. He sat down on his wheel chair as his assistant wheeled him into the theatre. A few things had already been sold by the time he got there. Nothing special, until something came up that grabbed his attention.

It was an old music box with a monkey in Indian clothing holding cymbals. It was in working condition. Apparently, it caught someone else's eye as well. An elderly cat with light lavender fur. The two bid on the music box until the hedgehog won it, spending thirty rings on it.

The hedgehog took the music box and thought, "Will you still play, when we're dead?"

"Now," the auctioneer said. "Our next object is the chandelier. It was originally broken, but we managed to fix it. It is said that this chandelier is the one the Phantom of the Opera used long ago. We've wired it to the electric light bulb now. Let's send the Phantom back, with illumination."

As the chandelier was lit and lifted into the air, memories began to rush back to the cat and hedgehog. Memories of what happened fifty years ago.

**Chapter 1**

Back then, the building was a popular place for people to see operas. Actors and stage preps would be busy all the day, preparing for another performance after another. Yes, it was a successful opera.

Stage actors were now practicing their roles for another upcoming opera. Among them, was a pink hedgehog holding a fake head. She sung in a sharp soprano that it annoyed some of the ladies cleaning the seats. After the soprano was finished, the pink hedgehog tossed the prop to a stage hand and more actors stepped on stage.

They sung out their parts very well, and then out came a red male echidna that began to sing in a fine tone. But as rehearsals were still going, they were interrupted when a man stepped out onto the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said. Everyone looked in his direction and he spoke. "Thank you. As you may have heard, I am now retiring. Therefore, I would like to introduce you to the opera's new owners. Mister Richard and Mister Jackson." He pointed to the two men that were with him as well.

"We are honored to be here," Richard said. "We hope to work well with you all."

Offstage, a group of supporting actors looked out on the stage, including a young lavender cat. The cat then saw someone familiar to her. "It's Silver," she whispered to her friend. "Before my father died, I guess you could say we were childhood sweethearts."

"He's quite handsome, Blaze," her friend named Cream whispered back. Silver walked up to the two men and spoke. "I'm glad that my parents are willing to support the opera house here," he said.

The pink hedgehog walked up to Silver and offered him her hand. He took it and kissed it gently. "Ah, this here is Amy Rose," the former opera head said. "She's been our soprano leader for the past five seasons." People applauded for Amy as she walked back.

The red echidna cleared his throat and got everyone's attention. "And this is Knuckles, one of our star actors," the former head said. After those introductions, the Silver then walked off stage and past Blaze, but didn't notice her.

"He wouldn't recognize me," Blaze said. Cream just said he didn't see her, and they went off on stage and rehearsed their parts. As they did, Richard noticed Blaze and asked, "Who is that lovely lady?" A woman named Vanilla stepped up and answered. "That there is Blaze," she said. "She's quite talented there."

After a few moments of rehearsing, everyone was finished and Amy began to storm off, being the prissy girl she has been since getting the job. "Wait!" Richard called. "You were great!"

"Yes!" Amy said angrily.

"You're like a goddess!" Jackson said. Amy nodded her head angrily. "Tell me," Richard said, "do you have a part in the third act?"

"No, I don't," Amy said. "Because I don't have my dress, and I hate this hat!"

"Then why don't you try a few lines?" Richard asked. Amy thought about it and said, "As my managers command. Maestro?" The maestro answered saying, "As my diva commands."

Amy went to the center of the stage, had some vocal spray, and began to sing in her sharp soprano. A couple people winced at the sharp tone, even putting cotton in their ears. They focused on the tone so much, they didn't notice a shadow moving over the stage balcony.

As Amy continued on her high singing, she was suddenly interrupted when a stage backdrop fell on her. She was unharmed, but everyone was in a panic. When they get her out of the backdrop, she stormed off, angry and a swarm of hornets.

The woman who was with Richard and Jackson earlier found an envelope flutter to the ground. It was sealed with wax with a skull molded into it. The two new owners mourned because of the loss of one of their stars until Vanilla walked up to them.

"I have a message," she said. "From the Phantom." Jackson just groaned. "You're all obsessed with this Phantom bullcrap," he said. Vanilla ignored his comment and said, "He welcomes you to his opera house, and wants to remind you to keep box 5 empty for his use. Also, his salary is due."

"Salary?" Jackson said. Vanilla nodded. "20,000 rings a month," she said. "Twenty thousand!?" Richard exclaimed. "We'll be forced refund a full house here without our star."

"Blaze can sing for you," Vanilla suggested. Everyone looked in her direction. "A chorus girl?" Richard said. "Don't be ridiculous."

"She learned from a great teacher," Vanilla said. Richard asked who it was, but Blaze answered saying, "I don't know who it is." Richard nodded and called Blaze up. Blaze shyly stepped up and when she reached the center of the stage, the music began to play.

Blaze sung in a most spectacular manner. Her tone was perfect for the song. Everyone looked in her direction as she sang in her beautiful voice. It was not long until she was given the part for the opera.

The opera house was packed that night. Everyone was focusing on the final song of the opera, as Blaze sung the vocals with her lovely voice. Little did she know that someone was listening to her from beneath her feet.

When the opera ended, everyone in the audience applauded her. After getting a shower of roses, she avoided the rest of the cast who were celebrating behind stage. She went to a shrine she made for her father in a nearby room.

After she lit one of the candles on the shrine, she began to hear a voice call to her. "Bravo," it said. "Bravo indeed."

Cream then entered the room she was in. "Blaze," she said. "Where have you been hiding? I want to ask you something. Who was your tutor?" Blaze was silent for a second and then answered.

"When your mother took me in," she began, "I would come down here alone to light a candle for my father. I would then hear a voice from above here, and in my dreams when I sleep.

"You see," she continued, "when my father laid in his bed as he died, he told me I would be protected by an angel of music."

"Do you think it's your father that has been coaching you?" Cream asked. Blaze smiled slightly. "Who else, Cream?" she asked in response. "I can't think of anyone else."

"Blaze," Cream said, "this can't be true. Do you really believe in such a thing?"

"He's in here, Cream," Blaze answered. "I can feel it." Cream took her out of the room and behind the curtain. Little did they know that one of the stage hands, a black hedgehog with red highlights named Shadow, was watching them with a bottle of wine in his hand.

Vanilla put Blaze in a room that was nearby and shut the door. "You did very well, Blaze," she said. She then held out a rose to Blaze and said, "He is pleased with you." Vanilla then left the room after giving the rose to her adoptive daughter, leaving her alone.

The rose Blaze held was smoothed of its thorns, and had a black bow tied around it. She sat down at a desk in the room and looked at it curiously. Then when she least expected it, Silver entered the room with a bouquet of roses.

"It's good to see you again Blaze," he said. Blaze turned her head and smiled. "Same to you, Silver," she said in response. Silver put the bouquet on a nearby table and walked up to her. The two embraced each other, glad to see each other again.

"You sang beautifully tonight," Blaze said. When they released their embrace, Blaze said, "Father once said, 'When I'm in heaven child, I will send the Angel of Music to you.' Well, Father is dead now, and I have been visited by the angel."

"No doubt of it," Silver said. "But now, we go to supper." He started to stand up when Blaze said, "No, Silver. The angel is very strict."

Silver responded saying, "I'm sure he can wait. I'll order my carriage to arrive in two minutes." Blaze tried to stop him from doing so, but he had already left the room. But unknown to them both, after Silver left, Someone silently locked the door and removed the key.

The building was empty, and all the lights within went out. Blaze had changed into her nightgown when the candles in her room were snuffed by a gust of wind. When she went for the door, a voice spoke out from the darkness.

"Such an insolent boy," it said, "a slave of fashion basking your glory. An ignorant fool, this brave young suitor, sharing in my triumph." Blaze looked towards the mirror and saw a shape inside. It was a blue hedgehog, a couple years older than her, wearing a dark cape and a white mask on the right side of his face.

It was her Angel of Music, the Phantom of the Opera!

**A new story, has been started! Please review! Do so, or face the wrath of the Phantom!**


End file.
